I normally, at most, only lurk here on the TMF, which is why I never spoke to you directly. Sorry for that, as I appreciate very much your wonderful words about a project that proved near and dear to my heart.
I never felt there could possibly be more to say. Hell Week, ultimately, was supposed to be about a trope, the sorority initiation. To continue seemed an impossibility, hence the many epilogues to provide some sense of closure. There was only one dangling plot thread, and that was Roxi. What I had in mind for the nemesis of the Sigmas was too big to fit into the final book, and I always planned to turn it into a small spinoff, to show what she was up to during book 3 (you might have noticed she had only a cameo) and what her fate would be.
Then something shocking happened. I mentally sat Roxi down in anticipation of the spinoff. Then she told me her view on everything. And I realized what a horrible mistake I'd made. You can thank Roxi for what I'm about to say, because she opened my eyes.
Earlier this week, I sent Jim what has the working title Hell Week Yearbook, the first novel being called Roxi Deserves To Win (with the "to win" crossed out and replaced with "tickle torture"). It is one of the single largest standalone fiction works MTJ has ever publish, and I thank Jim for his indulgence in that, because while it's a standalone, it's meant to kick off an ongoing series of novels, each a continuation but also their own self-contained work. It turned out that once I stopped thinking of it in terms of a trope, I had tons to say about them. In fact, it would be fair to say that this has become probably the most passionate writing project I have ever undertaking in either my fetish career or my mainstream career. I have thrown away entire books worth of material in my attempts to perfect the stories.
In the first book alone, you'll see Hell Week from the point of view of Roxi and Diane, to see there was more going on with both of them that week than first appeared. In particular, seeing Thursday, the day Roxi leads her team against the Sigmas and establish herself as the villain, from her point of view will hopefully make you realize what her true driving force is. You'll see Barton and Donnie in far, far greater roles, and learn how important the tickling heartthrob is to Diane as her friend and confidante. Some characters who barely appeared such as Margot will get face time here. And you'll see how, long after Hell Week is over, Roxi plots revenge.
But mostly, you'll see a greater emphasis on the people rather than on the scenarios. That's not to say it isn't filled with opportunities to make the ladies laugh their heads off, and the third act is specifically about a massive tickle scenario that - I won't lie - will also allow grist for the mill should I in a later book have more ideas for what to do with the girls than I do ways to tickle them to death. They've told me where they're going, I've got to somehow justify us getting there
But at the same time, the fetish focus will remain essential - there is one scene I admit to taking particularly pride in 95% of the way into the story because it is about a powerful, intimate, human moment between two characters that has nothing whatsoever to do with fetishism, but would be IMPOSSIBLE to do except in a fetish piece. I realize it might be gauche to pat myself on the back, but I am extremely proud of that moment.
So yeah, turns out you were right and I was wrong, there is a massive amount of stuff that can still be said, and I can't tell you enough how much I look forward to sharing it with you!